TIDY MFC 1.4 has been rebuilt and solidly tested to work on Windows XP as well as Windows Vista.

TIDY-1.4.zip

TIDY Music Folder Cleaner 1.4 is a small batch file that allows you to delete all hidden .ini files as well as all JPEG, .db files, and unwanted playlist files you may not have.

In order for TIDY Music Folder Cleaner to work properly, you must put it in your “Music” (Vista) or “My Music” (Windows 2000/XP) folder. Running it from there will check that folder and every folder inside it, so you don’t have to spend hours going through your collection to delete unwanted files.

Just make sure that if you want to keep your playlists, you should not put them in the music folder, but instead put them in a folder to themselves. This not only keeps them organized, but it also puts them all where you’ll remember them.

_{Edited for spelling. -Thomas.}

I decided to write a Sudoku solver recently, completing most of it on a flight from Chicago to San Francisco, while my laptop had ten minutes of battery remaining.

It almost worked.

Anyway, I revised the code and got it working (after a bunch of trouble with variable references and assignment in Python). After a bit of research I found that I had not implemented nearly all the solving algorithms I would need to solve some of the more difficult puzzles. Over “here”:http://diuf.unifr.ch/people/juillera/Sudoku/InterestingSudokus.html, though, I discovered something interesting (and I quote):

bq. Following the idea of using advanced techniques within a Forcing Chain to the extreme, one can use Forcing Chains within Forcing Chains to get a powerfull solving technique. In fact, if the nesting depth is not limited, this technique of “Nested” Forcing Chains can actually solve any Sudoku.

It makes perfect sense. All the other solution techniques are essentially patterned Forcing Chains which stand alone (they work, for the most part, independent of other portions of the grid, and thus involve numbers which can be substituted for any others, forming a solution technique).

Noticing this, I had an idea: I could build a Sudoku solver which initially uses only Nested Forcing Chains, but derives other techniques from the solution process and applies them in future puzzles to increase the speed of solving.

I wonder if it would come up with any techniques that haven’t already been recognized?

Well, that is my plan.

Apparently there was an error in TIDY Music Folder Cleaner versions 1.1 and 1.2 where the script was broken on WindowsXP. This has been fixed in this version. This is a build based on 1.1 - I am not sure if I am going to port 1.2 to work, as I have not had use for it and it has a lesser demand. I have, however, included the playlist removal from 1.2. If someone wants me to, I will though.

TIDY-1.3.zip

TIDY Music Folder Cleaner 1.3 is a small batch file that allows you to delete all hidden .ini files as well as all JPEG, .db files, and unwanted playlist files you may not have.

Remember to put it in your music directory (default in Windows XP is “My Documents/My Music”).

TIDY Music Folder Cleaner has received more downloads than I had thought it would, so I thought it appropriate to release an updated version of the batch file. This one follows in suit of the previous two with the exception that there is now an option in this one to replace the fancy Window’s Music folder icon (unverified or tested on Windows Vista).

TIDY-1.2.zip

TIDY Music Folder Cleaner 1.2 is a small batch file that allows you to delete all hidden .ini files as well as all JPEG, .db files, and unwanted playlist files you may not have. In this version I have made every step a yes/no choice so you can keep certain files if you want to. There is also an option at the end to restore the fancy Window’s folder icon.

Remember to put it in your music directory (default in Windows XP is “My Documents/My Music”).

I’ve created a file that cleans out music folders of their thumbs.db, album art jpg’s and desktop.ini’s. This file is for Windows based computers and has been effectively tested on Windows XP SP 2 and Windows Vista Home Premium. I have not tested the folder icon replacement in Vista, however. It’s a batch file that I am releasing for free.

The main reason for creating this was that I was moving to a new residence and wanted to back up all of my files to data DVD as efficiently as I could. I was frustrated at how Windows Media Player would created album art, a thumbs.db file (which I later disabled but didn’t delete) and all the desktop.ini files it created. I wanted my mp3 music folders to be just that, mp3 music and nothing more. Now it can be moved to a *nix machine without the hassle of extra files!

Remember to put it in your music directory (default in Windows XP is “My Documents/My Music”).

TIDY-1.1.zip

TIDY Music Folder Cleaner is a small batch file that when put into your My Music folder, deletes all hidden .ini, .jpg, and .db files. This version comes with a file ‘desktop’ that will be renamed into desktop.ini and placed in the same folder as the .bat file. The reason it remakes a single .ini file is so that you have your music icon back on your folder.

TIDY-1.0.zip

TIDY Music Folder Cleaner is a small batch file that when put into your My Music folder, deletes all hidden .ini, .jpg, and .db files. NOTE: This version will also delete the destkop.ini file that shows the music note folder. Make sure to back up this file or use a newer version of the batch file! This version is great for doing folders that don’t have the “My Music” icon or if you don’t mind the folder looking like a regular one.